


who you gonna call?

by darlingjustdont



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Ghosts, Crack, Fluff, Ghostbusters AU, M/M, paranormal happenings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-29
Updated: 2016-07-29
Packaged: 2018-07-27 13:39:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,715
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7620253
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/darlingjustdont/pseuds/darlingjustdont
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <em>“your house is a hotspot for ghost dandruff, niall,” harry says as he swipes a hand over the mantle. niall blinks at him. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>  <em>“that’s just-- that’s just dust, harry.” </em></p><p> </p><p>  <em>“what do you think dust is made of?” </em></p><p> </p><p>a ghostbusters crackfic where niall's house is haunted and he calls in for some help.</p>
            </blockquote>





	who you gonna call?

**Author's Note:**

> i promised myself that i wouldn't publish anything unless it was one of my wips, but i saw ghostbusters last night and harry was being a ~~sex pest~~ menace on set and niall's hollywood house is rumoured to be haunted and i couldn't help myself. it's basically crack tbh 
> 
> no spoilers for the movie (i don't think?) but there are a couple elements/gags taken. none of the boys line up to a character except for louis. he's definitely holzmann. 
> 
> title's taken from the ghostbusters theme song. beta'd by the lovely adriana because she's the best person in the world. 
> 
> enjoy xx

it starts as little things, ones that niall can easily pass off as accidents. a door slams shut when there’s no breeze. things are misplaced and turn up later in different places. niall writes it off as a draft, or forgetting where he left things. 

but then he starts finding handprints in the dust, too small for them to be his own. 

after the third time, he googles “who to call if you have a ghost” and dials the first number he sees. 

 

four hours later, three men--boys, really-- show up on his doorstep. he stares at them for a solid minute, trying to take everything in. he’s not sure if it’s the whacky outfits, the junky equipment, or the baby hanging from someone’s chest that has him speechless. 

“you called for the ghostbusters?” one asks. he’s the one on niall’s left. 

“oh,” says niall weakly. “um, yeah. i… i did.” 

“hiya,” the boy in front says. “my name’s louis tomlinson, chemist, physicist, electrician, occasional mortician, and weapons expert. this is payno, our hired muscle, and harold, babysitter.” 

the one with the baby harness strapped to his front gives a little wave. the other one rolls his eyes. 

“more like: this is louis--he likes to make things explode--, i’m liam payne, an _actual_ physicist, and harry’s our paranormal advisor.” the boy pauses, eyeing harry. “and babysitter.” 

“oh,” niall repeats because he literally cannot think of anything else to say. 

“heyyyy,” says harry. “i do a lot more than babysit. s’not even my baby, it’s _yours,_ louis--”

“heard you had a bit of a ghost problem?” louis interrupts breezily and niall starts when he realises the question’s directed towards him. 

“right, yeah i do. freaky stuff. books falling off the shelves, handprints in the dust, lights flickering. that sort of thing.”

“hmm, sounds like a class two, maybe three, corporeal spirit,” harry muses. the baby he’s carrying appears to be eating some equipment.

“your baby’s chewing on a tube.” niall tells him and harry looks down in shock. 

“oh, don’t mind him. that’s his teething ring.”

“it’s a plastic tube,” niall says flatly. 

“rubber, actually, and it’s good for his jaw strength,” says louis and pushes past niall into the house. he’s got a weird wand thing that’s attached to what looks to be a graphing calculator. liam’s begun to throw glitter in the air and harry’s dragging in huge breaths through his nose. 

niall regrets calling them already. 

“sorry, not to be rude or anything, but _what the fuck are you doing?”_

“testing,” liam says as he throws another glittery handful into the air. 

“testing what?” 

“strange drafts.” 

niall pinches the bridge of his nose. “this house was built in eighteen twenty five. there are always strange drafts.” 

liam somehow manages to look both surprised and disapproving at the same time. 

“well then, you should’ve told us that. i’d be using an entirely different method if i had known that.” 

“i didn’t know it was necessary information.” 

“everything’s necessary information when you’re dealing with the supernatural, nialler. can i call you nialler?” louis asks. he looks up from his device to cock an eyebrow at niall. 

“i’d prefer if you didn’t.” 

“too bad, it’s already stuck in my head.” 

he fistbumps liam and shakes his graphing calculator so hard it rattles. harry begins to cough violently, huge ones that rack his body. 

“sorry,” he croaks. “swallowed some glitter.” 

niall really, really, _really_ regrets ever picking up his phone.

 

“your house is a hotspot for ghost dandruff, niall,” harry says as he swipes a hand over the mantle. niall blinks at him. 

“that’s just-- that’s just dust, harry.” 

“what do you think dust is made of?” 

niall’s about ready to tear out his hair. “human skin. it’s made primarily of human skin.” 

“hmm. that’s what they want you to think.” 

“who?” 

harry just places a finger to his lips and smiles angelically. the baby chooses that moment to start whining, so he roots through his pockets until he pulls out a pacifier. the baby quiets instantly. 

“what’s with the kid?” 

“his name’s freddie,” harry tells him, smiling down at the disgruntled baby. “he’s louis’, but babies can interfere with the meters and with the weapons, so i generally take care of him on home visits.” 

“you don’t have a weapon?” 

harry winces. “they stopped letting me hold anything more dangerous than a pencil when i accidentally vaporized a cat. but the cat was really old and had cancer, so really it wasn’t too bad of a way to go.”

“you vaporized a cat.” 

“on accident.” 

niall takes a little step away from him. harry grins hugely and it’s dazzling, really. niall’s a little overwhelmed. it takes a minute to remember what he was going to ask. 

“why do babies interfere with readings?” 

harry pulls a face at freddie before he answers and the boy gurgles around his pacifier. it makes harry grin bigger, and niall too. christ, he’s rather attractive once you get past the paranormal obsession. 

“babies are open to the paranormal, you know, because they’re a little paranormal themselves. psychics, all of them. it doesn’t make that much of a difference on the readings but we do have to be precise.” 

“babies are psychic?” 

“christ, you’re like a human echo. yeah, they can read minds but they lose the ability right around when they start talking.” 

“how… do you know this?” 

“niall,” harry says, eyes wide. “i’m an expert on the supernatural, remember? got a degree in it n’everything. so obviously i’d have to know-- ooh, is that ghost residue?” 

he prods at a stain on the table that niall’s ninety-nine percent sure is just coffee. he doesn’t say anything, though, let’s harry do his thing. just in case. 

 

“we have good news and bad news,” louis announces when they’re all back together. he pushes his goggles up on top of his head and rubs at his cheek, leaving a streak of black across his face. 

“okay?” 

“the good news is that there’s definitely a ghost,” continues louis, looking far too pleased at the prospect. 

“that’s the good news?” niall asks flatly and all three of the boys nod. liam adjusts something on his equipment and smiles at him. 

“that’s definitely good news for us! means that we were right!” he highfives louis and then harry, and then freddie for good measure. the growing sense of dread in niall’s stomach gets heavier.

“wait, you’ve never done this before?” 

“not with a real life, honest-to-god ghost. we’ve practiced and studied the paranormal in theory, but you’re the first person to actually, erm, believe us.” harry says, almost apologetically. 

“jesus. please tell me that’s the bad news.” 

“ah,” liam says and he raises a finger. “no, it’s not. the bad news is we don’t know what the ghost wants. or where it is, specifically. or if it’s a good ghost or a bad ghost.” 

“so basically, you know nothing. oh god, i can’t believe i hired you three.” niall feels a little weak at the knees. maybe he should sit down. 

“well, that’s rude,” louis tells him, voice disapproving. niall fights down the urge to laugh hysterically and louis’ frown gets deeper. “we’re trying to help you!” he yells.

“you don’t know what you’re doing!” niall yells back. “you’re just playing ghost hunters and being idiots!” 

“heyyyy,” protests harry just as freddie starts to cry. louis heaves a sigh and reaches for the baby, handing harry the equipment he was carrying as a trade. niall’s not sure how someone can look fiercer with a baby in his arms, but louis manages to pull it off. 

“for your information, we’re highly qualified to be doing this work,” liam says in a loud voice. “i’ve got a degree in quantum physics, and i’ve been researching this for fifteen years?” 

“you’re what, twenty-five? so you’ve been reading ghost stories since you were ten?” 

liam looks like he’s going to furiously object, but he’s interrupted by a slam of the door. everyone freezes, even the baby. 

“one of your drafts?” louis mutters, absentmindedly patting freddie’s back. 

niall shakes his head. “i don’t… i don’t know.” 

there’s another slam as one of the instruments in harry’s hand lights up and starts to whirl. everyone whips around to stare at harry. 

“i didn’t touch it, i promise!” harry says and holds his hands up. matching expressions of glee spread across liam and louis’ faces. 

“here, hazza. trade me, trade me.” hurriedly, harry takes freddie again and louis squints at the screen of the calculator. “levels are spiking, sulphur ratio also spiking---” 

niall’s ears pop suddenly, painfully. the others shake their heads like it’s happened to them as well and freddie starts to wail.

“--and air pressure abruptly changed,” louis finishes in an awed voice. liam and harry are looking just as awed beside him and no one’s paying attention to the baby and niall’s so, so confused. 

“what the fuck does that mean?” 

“the ghost is coming.” liam sounds gleeful and it’s _terrifying._

“what the fuck? why aren’t we getting out, then?” 

“cos this is incredible, nialler! we’re about to make scientific history right here. harry are you filming yet?” 

“working on it, lou.” 

niall watches harry struggle with his phone and the flailing baby for one second and takes pity on him. 

“here, hand me freddie. we’ll just go outside and let you three do your... ghostie thing.” harry does as he asks and suddenly niall has an armful of chunky baby. freddie blinks up at him, a little skeptical, and niall stifles a laugh at how much he looks like louis. but then freddie sighs and snuggles into his chest, half-heartedly tugging on niall’s shirt. it’s one of the cutest fucking things he’s ever seen. 

he’s pulled from his daze by a roar of wind. he glances up and startles so hard he nearly drops the baby, because right in front of him is a _real life ghost._

okay, well. maybe not _real life_ because ghosts are, by definition, dead, but it’s blue and pulsing and staring at all of them. 

“what the fuck,” niall mouths, unable to get enough air to actually say the words. 

“that’s definitely a class four spirit,” says liam reverently. “she’s manifested and everything. god, i can’t believe it.” 

louis nods, eyes fixed on the ghost. “amazing, innit?” 

“hello, gorgeous,” harry breathes and reaches out a hand towards the apparition. “you’re beautiful, aren’t you. do you speak?” 

the ghost cocks her head, still eyeing them curiously. louis, liam, and harry all look ecstatic and proud. niall’s positively bricking it. 

“we’re not trying to hurt you, love. just trying to hear your story,” louis coaxes. the ghost opens her mouth to answer and vomits green sludge all over harry. 

liam and louis howl with laughter as harry fishmouths, stunned. 

“i love you,” liam tells the ghost as he wipes tears from his eyes. “new best mate, right there.” 

the ghost roars again and everyone instantly goes silent, looking at her with shocked gazes. she’s growing, like she’s gathering her energy, and a shiver goes down niall’s spine. he covers freddie’s head with a hand. 

“i think the laughter agitated her,” says liam as louis checks his instrument. 

“i wonder why,” grumbles harry but his hands are trembling slightly. he’s still pointing the camera at the ghost. 

she bares her teeth at them. liam flicks a switch and niall hears the sound of machines whirring up. 

“louis, do you still have your extra vaporizing pack on you?” 

“yeah.” 

“give it to harry, please. i think we’re going to need more power.” 

louis stares at him in horror for a moment. “what about the pencil rule?” 

“desperate times, tommo.” 

louis shrugs and shoves an extra backpack contraption over to harry, who promptly puts it on.

“turn it on now, alright?” liam orders. “niall, get behind us, please. don’t let freddie watch this.” 

“i can’t believe you three brought a baby to a ghostbusting trip,” niall says but he does what he’s told, ducking behind the wall the three other boys make. 

“it’s my day to have him, i wasn’t just going to leave him alone,” louis replies distractedly. he’s alternating between squinting at his calculator and at the ghost. “i really, really hope this works.” 

“ready louis? harry?” 

“check,” the two chorus, holding their weapons steady. harry’s put away his phone, thank goodness, and they’re both waiting with grim faces. liam nods to himself and hoists his own weapon. 

“on my count, then. one...” 

the ghost roars again and starts to advance on them, looking fierce and horrifying.

“two...”

that thing was in niall’s _house,_ had been haunting him for _days._ niall might be a little sick. 

“THREE!” 

three streams of red light shoot from the machine towards the apparition, wrapping around it and locking it into place. she fights, but they wrestle her towards a cannister on the ground. with a screech, she disappears into its depths. 

the boys switch off their machines and just stand there for a minute, panting heavily. 

“we did it,” liam says in wonder. “we captured a ghost.” 

it breaks the spell and suddenly the three of them are yelling and hugging each other. louis shoves harry and he goes down, bringing the other two with him. they lay in a dogpile on the ground, chanting “we did it! we did it!” over and over. 

niall stares at them for a few minutes and then stares at freddie. freddie stares back, nonplussed. 

“you are going to have one very interesting childhood, babe,” he says finally. freddie just yawns and chews on niall’s shoulder. 

 

louis excuses himself and freddie with a “naptime, sorry,” and liam goes with him to begin studying the ghost. niall looks at the gloop everywhere and sighs. 

“i can help,” harry offers, still covered head to toe himself. he looks hopeful and niall doesn’t have it in him to turn the offer down. besides, he could use the company. and the help. 

“okay. d’you… d’you want a shower first? it would be more comfortable, probably.” 

“yeah, okay.” 

“um, you can just leave your shoes here, i guess. i’ll show you where it is.” harry toes off his boots and follows niall through the house, careful not to touch anything. niall appreciates the gesture, or lack thereof. 

“fuck, this stuff is everywhere,” harry mutters, grimacing a little. “it’s going to be terrible to try and wash off.” 

niall definitely does not think _i could help you with that_ because that would be inappropriate and he’s only known the guy for like, an hour. two at most. he does hum noncommittally, though. harry accepts this as an answer. 

“do you have soap?” 

“who doesn’t have soap in their house? christ, harry.” 

“you never know,” harry says thoughtfully. “people could be allergic or summat. anti-soap, maybe.” 

“you’re so fucking strange. of course i have soap, i have several different kinds even. you can pick which one smells best to you.” 

“ooh, that’d be brilliant. i’d rather not smell like supernatural goo for the rest of my life. i just hope it doesn’t, dunno, explode when it comes in contact with water.” 

niall pauses and glances over his shoulder at harry. “can it do that?” 

“dunno.” harry shrugs, looking a little worried, before his frown dissolves into a smile. “guess we’ll find out! if i die, please tell liam i love him and louis that he still owes me twenty quid, even if i’m dead.” 

“are you going to haunt him?” 

“if he doesn’t give me the money, yes. he can just throw it in my grave,” harry tells him solemnly. niall rolls his eyes. 

“so, _so,_ strange.” he flips on the switch to the bathroom and pushes the door open, sweeping his arm across the room. “here’s the bath. you can use anything you find on the tub, as long as you don’t finish it off. towels are on the rack. i’ll go find you some clean clothes to change into, yeah?” 

harry grabs his hand and holds it in his own. niall tries not to wince at the squelch of goo between their palms. 

“thank you,” harry tells him with the most intense eye contact niall’s ever gotten outside the bedroom. “i really appreciate it.” 

“you’re… welcome,” niall manages to stutter and steps back away from harry’s space as soon as he can. “if you need anything, just-- fuck.” 

harry pauses, eyebrows raised and his shirt crumpled in his hands. “if i need anything, just fuck?” he repeats, a little confused. niall drags his gaze away from harry’s very naked, very attractive torso and shakes his head. 

“no, sorry. i just got distracted. um. if you need anything, just yell. not fuck. i’ll come runnin’.” he gives a laugh that’s a little more hysterical than usual, but harry’s pulling at his trousers already, giving niall a glimpse of his legs and pants and wow. 

niall needs to leave immediately. right now. 

“i will,” promises harry. 

“enjoy your shower,” he answers, a little nonsensically, and does not run from the bathroom. he might walk fast, but he absolutely does not bolt from where harry’s getting naked. 

he gets a head start on cleaning up the kitchen instead, pulling out his mop and beginning the long process of washing the sludge away. it’s hard work; the sludge is really sticky and refuses to budge without a lot of elbow grease. niall’s arms ache after a few minutes. 

the water shuts off and there’s a few seconds of silence before, “erm, niall?” 

niall takes in a deep breath, lets it out. 

“yeah?” 

“i don’t think i ever, um, got some clothes.” 

shit. in his hurry to get out of there, he’d forgotten to gather up something for harry to wear. 

“okay, just a mo’,” he calls back and darts into his bedroom. he’s got a pair of joggers that won’t be too short on harry, and a couple of old shirts. he picks the eagles one that’s soft with age and folds it. 

harry opens the door immediately after niall knocks, and he’s so very close. he’s also in just a towel. 

“here,” niall says, shoving the pile into harry’s arms.

“thank you!” harry tells him and drops his towel to grab onto the clothes. 

“oh. that’s, um. you’re naked. completely.” 

glancing down like he hadn’t noticed, harry’s brow furrows. he shifts a little uneasily. 

“uh, yeah. does that bother you?” 

“no,” niall answers and he’s sure his voice is at least an octave higher. “it’s perfectly fine, not bothered at all.” 

“niall,” harry says solemnly. there’s a sparkle in his eyes that scares niall nearly as much as the ghost did. “do you find me attractive?” 

“no…?” 

a smile spreads across harry’s face, a little dirty and a lot wicked. “cos, like, i think you’re really bloody fit. it’s been hard to concentrate with you looking like that, even when you were doubting us. which, by the way, was _incredibly_ rude because you were the one to call us, and then you wouldn’t even trust in our abilities--” 

“harry,” niall interrupts, because harry’s hand has been trailing down his chest the entire time he’d been speaking, only to stop at his waistband.

“yeah?” 

“is there a point to this? besides that we both find each other fit.”

“not really, no.” 

“then, fucking hell, get on with it.” 

harry gives him a crooked grin and tugs him into the bathroom. 

 

“so, you’ve got our number, yeah? just in case you need to call again. if the ghost comes back or another one shows up or something,” harry asks anxiously. 

“that’s not likely to happen, right? you guys captured that one so it can’t come back.” 

“right. yeah.” harry looks a little deflated and niall hides a grin. “well, i can give you my personal number? just in case anything happens?” 

“sounds good,” niall tells him and harry scrawls a number on his hand in pen. 

“you can call me if you need help anything.” 

“gotcha.” 

“ _anything._ ” 

“okay.” 

“i meant that, like, sexually--” 

“i understood you the first time, harry,” niall says with a laugh. harry’s cheeks turn red but he’s smiling. niall pokes his dimple with a finger. “i’ll call you, i promise. or text, maybe.” 

“you’d better, horan.” harry leans in to peck niall on the cheek and sways out of his space almost immediately. he waves over his shoulder and niall blows him a kiss. 

“bye, harry.” 

a week later, niall gets a call from harry. 

“hello?” 

“niall! you answered!” 

“i always do, petal. what’s up?” 

“there’s been another ghost sighting and we need your help.” 

“...why?” 

harry heaves a sigh over the phone. it lasts a good five seconds. 

“because i’m still not allowed to work the vaporizer and two people is not enough power. we didn’t know who else to call. _please,_ niall.” 

niall considers it before catching himself. 

“harry, i can’t.” 

“yes, you can.” harry sounds offended that niall would suggest such a thing. “why not?” 

“first off, i’m not qualified to catch ghosts, whatever. i’m a _librarian_. and second of all, i’ve got work.” 

“are you working right now?” harry asks suspiciously. 

“no.” 

“are you working today?” 

“no,” niall begrudgingly answers and harry crows on the other side of the line. 

“i knew it! that means you can come and help us! all you have to do is point a tube at a ghost and shoot when we tell you.”

“oh, that’s it?” 

“yep,” harry chirps, missing niall’s sarcasm entirely. or maybe just refusing to acknowledge it. “pleaaaaaasee?” 

“ugh. fine.” he pauses to allow harry to shout for a moment. “but you guys have to pick me up.”

it’s not so bad, actually. sure, he had to run for his life a little bit, but he figures it counts as his workout of the day. they get the ghost in the end, and harry drags him into a closet to suck him off. 

 

pretty soon, he’s helping to catch ghosts and getting laid on his off days. it’s fucking fantastic, except the part where the only time harry calls him is when there’s some sort of paranormal activity. 

 

louis is the one to pick up the company phone when niall rings. 

“ghostbusters inc., for all your paranormal needs,” louis says in a bored voice. 

“hiya tommo. can you put me on with harry?” 

“why?” louis asks, instantly suspicious. “you aren’t going to try and have phone sex again, are you?”

“that was _one time_.” 

“and yet i have to relive it every time i hear harry say ‘niall’. which is a lot, mind you. he won’t shut up about you.” 

“just-- give harry the fucking phone. his cell’s dead.” 

“fine,” louis huffs. “harry, your boyfriend’s calling. hands where i can see them at all times, please. there are children in the room and we don’t want them scarred for life because you can’t keep it in your pants.” 

“that was one time!” niall hears harry squawk over the phone. “fuck off, louis. hi, love.” 

“hi, petal. your cellphone’s dead.” 

“i know. i forgot to plug it in last night. why are you calling?” 

“to see why you called me.” 

“sorry, niall,” harry says patiently. “but you rang first? we had that whole conversation with louis literally thirty seconds ago, remember?” 

“no, i mean there was a missed call from you on my phone.” 

“that’s weird,” harry says and niall can picture his thinking face perfectly-- eyebrows drawn together and a little furrow in the middle. ‘oh wait, no. i called you earlier and forgot about it.” 

niall waits for a few seconds but harry doesn’t offer any more information. 

“h. why’d you call.” 

“there’s a ghost and we need your help.”

“a ghost? again.” 

“there are a lot of dead people with vengeances, niall.” 

“what are we waiting for?” 

“briana’s going to be over in ten minutes to get freddie, so we’re gonna wait it out a little.” 

“should i meet you there, or…?” 

“no, you can come!” 

“harry!” niall hears louis yell through the phone. “what did i say!” 

“come as in “come over _”,_ louis. christ, your mind’s in the gutter.” 

“i have reason to be suspicious of you two,” louis answers, sounding muffled. niall snorts. 

“it was just as scarring for us as it was for you, tommo.” 

“i highly doubt that.” 

“so, harry,” niall says mildly, rooting around for his keys. “what’re you wearing?” 

 

harry drags a hand across his face and wipes off a smear of ectoplasm. “um. i really liked fighting ghosts with you today.” 

“i liked it too,” niall answers easily, pressing his lips together. 

“i also liked the part in the kitchen--” 

“shocker,” he deadpans, grinning when harry smirks. “never would’ve guessed.” 

“so, i’ll see you next time there’s a ghost?” 

“or, we can skip the fighting ghosts part and go straight to the shagging.” harry’s face drops a little in shock, and then schools it into something disapproving.

“if a house is haunted, we gotta get rid of the ghost first, niall. who knows what damage it could do and that’s part of our job, we just can’t ignore it because we’re all hormonal.” 

niall rolls his eyes, embarrassingly endeared and exasperated at the same time. 

“i _know,_ harry. i meant that you don’t have to call me just because there’s paranormal activity somewhere in the city.”

“i haven’t been doing that!” 

niall levels a glare at him. “harry.” 

harry blushes a little and shrugs a shoulder. 

“fine. i just didn’t know if you actually wanted me to call you or anything.” 

“we’ve been shagging for two months.” 

“oh. right,” harry says a little sheepishly. “so you like me?” 

“fucking hell,” niall laughs and winds his hand in harry’s shirt, jerking him forward. he kisses harry, swallows his laughter, and tries to fight his own smile. “have i ever told you that you’re really fucking strange?” 

“mmm, maybe once or twice.” 

“i thought we already established that i think you’re really fit, and i _assumed_ that the constant hooking up meant that i liked you.” 

harry shrugs again. “you never know these days.” 

pinching at his side, niall grins at harry’s squeak of surprise, and smacks him on the cheek. 

“i’m expecting a text from you later tonight, alright? that’s an order.” 

harry mimes a salute and accidentally trips over his feet in the process. niall looks up to the heavens and wonders why he let himself be charmed by this idiot. it only takes a cheeky snog to remind him.

 

the lady looks seconds away from pinching their cheeks, even though they’re literally twice her size. 

“you two are adorable,” she says, beaming. niall blushes and grips harry’s hand tighter. “how did you meet?” 

“he called my ghostbusting service because there was a class four apparition haunting his house,” harry says matter-of-factly and the smiles freezes on the lady’s face. niall fakes a laugh, nudging harry to do the same.

“that’s my boy, always a joker,” he tells the lady with a wink. “actually, we met through mutual friends--” 

“--who are ghostbusters.” 

“oh my god. i can’t take you anywhere.” 

harry just smiles proudly. the lady’s back to looking jovial and not freaked out at all, smiling at them like they’re perfectly normal. 

“actually, miss,” harry asks, almost as an afterthought, “have you seen anything paranormal recently? we’re kind of on a ghost hunt.” 

the lady doesn’t get to respond before louis and liam skid around the corner in a cloud of glitter, screeching. there’s a dragon spirit behind them and it looks angry. 

“vaporize it!” louis yells, even as he’s pulling on his pack. 

“niall, get your bloody weapon out!” 

niall gives the lady an apologetic look, kisses harry’s cheek, and pulls the tube out of the backpack he’s got on. 

“sorry, miss. duty calls.” 

he takes his stance and aims, harry cheering him on in the background. the ache in his arms is a familiar feeling now, one he loves almost as much as the boy behind him. he’s not a fan of ghosts, but he does owe them one for bringing harry into his life. 

he wonders if the other dimension accepts gift baskets. 

 

**Author's Note:**

> thank youuuu for reading!! i'm @bigbrotherlouis on tumblr if you want to talk ever <3


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